Dinner-pail.



No. 678,598. Patented July l6, l9lDl. w. P. WALKER.

DINNER PAIL.

(Apulication filed Apr. 11, 1901.) (No Model.)

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WILLIAM PORTER WALKER, or MACON, MIssOURI.

DINNER-PAIL.

srnorrrcarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,598, dated July 16, 1903..

Application filed April 11, 1901- Serial No. 55,386. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIA PORTER WAL- KER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, county of Macon, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dinner-Pails, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in a lunch or dinner kettle comprising a series of surmounting interlocking compartments adapted to hold meats, vegetables, liquids, &c., and means for looking all of said compartments together and each of said compartments to abail independent of each other.

The object of my invention is to provide a kettle-of this character that will be simple, cheap, and convenient; and with this and minor objects in view my invention consists of parts and combination of parts that will be hereinafter more fully referred to.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved kettle. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, on a smaller scale than the other figures, showing locking-lugs.

1 represents the bottom compartment, which is provided with a depending annular bottom flange 2. A short distance below the top of the bottom section of the compartment is formed an outwardly-extending rib or bead 3, to be hereinafter referred to, while the upper edge of the compartment is bent'inwardly upon itself to form a smooth edge and at the same time stiffen the compartment. 4 represents outwardly-extending lugs or projections parallel to each other and secured to this compartment in pairs diametrically opposite each other, each pair of lugs being suitably spaced apart, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3. It will be noticed that the depending base-flange 2 is of slightly-greater diameter than the compartment, the upper edge of this flange being crimped inwardly and suitably secured around the base of the compartment, the object of which will be hereinafter set out. It will also be observed from Fig. 2 that the annular head above the rib or lug 3 is deflected slightly outward, as at 5. The second compartment from bottom (indicated by the numeral 6) is of the same construction as the compartment 1. The nextsuperimposed compartment (indicated by the numeral 7) is substantially of the construction described with reference to compartments 1 and 6, with the exception that the sides of the compartment are composed of perforated sheet metal or wire-gauze, while the interior of the com partment is divided into a series of compartments adapted to hold small articles-as, for instance, eggs-in a convenient and compact form. The compartment 8 is provided with a top 9, having a screw-threaded flange or mouth 10, said compartment adapted to contain a liquid.

11 is a cup having screw-threads 12 formed in its side walls a short distance from the top, whereby said cup is firmly secured upon the compartment 8, thereby forming a cover for the same, which will prevent the spilling of the contents of this compartment.

13 is a spring-bail having a suitable handle 14 secured thereon. The lower ends of the bail are bent to form an eye 15, one arm of the bail being bent upon itself near the center of its length to form an eye 16, in which various articles may be securedas, for instance, a miners lamp. The bail is secured pivotally to the lower compartment 1 by means of a rivet 17, suitably secured in the flange 2.

18 is a flange of suitable construction secured to the top compartment, by means of which the name of the owner of the pail or kettle may be secured thereto.

It will be noticed that the sections interlock with each other, and by reason of the slightly-inclined flange 5 the base-flange of each compartment must be sprung over this flange 5, thereby making a comparatively tightjoint between the several compartments. When the compartments have been arranged as shown in Fig. 1, the arms of the bail are swung upon their pivots 17, and when in position to one side of the lugs 4 spring outwardly and snap in between the locking-lugs et, whereby said ball is locked in a vertical position against movement on its pivot, thereby enabling one to carry the several compartments as one rigid structure.

Should it be desired to carry less than all of the sections, this can be done by reason of the fact that each compartment is provided with these locking-lugs which maintain the bail in a vertical position, locking said bail against movement on its pivot. The-various compartments may be divided into several compartments, if found desirable. Each compartment may also be provided with perforations for the purpose of ventilation, if it'istending bead formed in said surrounding wall, an incline formed in said wall above the outwardly-extending bead in combination with parallel lugs secured in pairs diametrically opposite to each other to the surrounding wall of the compartment, and a springbail pivoted to a depending bottom flange adapted to be sprung between said parallel lugs, whereby the bail is locked in a vertical position.

2. In a dinner-pail the combination of a series of superimposed compartments, each compartment comprising a surrounding Wall and bottom plate, a depending annular flange of greater diameter than the surrounding wall secured to the bottom of each compartment, an outwardly-extending bead formed in the wall of the compartment, a slight incline formed in the surrounding Wall above the outwardly-extending bead and lugs secured in pairs to the side walls and diametrically opposite each other in combination with a spring-bail pivoted to the depending flange of the lowermost compartment adapted to be sprung'between the opposite pair of lugs on the respective compartments.

7 WILLIAM PORTER WALKER.

\Vitnesses: Y

J. W. PATTON, H. T. TIBBS. 

